Snowshoe harness



Sept. 19, 1961 H, HOWE 3,000,117

SNOWSHOE HARNESS FiledvMarch 50, 1960 5 Sl'lee'S-Syheei'l l "EZ ATTORNEY Sept. 19, 1961 H. HOWE 3,000,117

sNowsHoE HARNESS Filed March 3o, 19Go s sheets-sheet 2v T1 g5 u XNVENTO ffaza an@ ATTO Sept. 19, 1961 H. HowE 3,000,117

SNOWSHOE HARNESS Filed March 50, 1960 5 SI'1eer,s-She:erl 3 [l mum llmll Cllllll') LHWD l I I,

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United States Patent O 3,000,117 SNOWSHOE HARNESS Harold Howe, Rowaytou, Conn., to Howe Folding Furniture, Inc., New York, NX., a corporation of New York I Y Filed Mar. 30, 1960, Ser. No. 18,558 8 Claims. (Cl. 36-45) This invention relates to a snow shoe harness.

Snow shoes comprise a frame enclosing an areawhich is criss-crossed with a lacing of rawhide. Harnesses are required to secure the users boots to the snow shoes so that he will have control of them at all times both on a level surface and while travelling over sloping terrain.

In walking on snow shoes the user needs to life the front end of a snow shoe at the start of a step and move the snow shoe forward. At the end of a step the front end of the snow shoe is lowered again andthe users foot rotates forwardly on the ball of the foot causing the heel of the users boot to be lifted from the snow shoe surface, i.e., upwardly from the lacing, as the user advances the other snow shoe. As the users boot is rotated forwardly the toe of the boot is somewhat tilted forwardly into an opening provided in the lacing.

Since snow shoes are used on sloping terrain as well as on the level a satisfactory harness must provide complete and continuous control of a snow shoe at all times, both for travel on the level and on inclines including side slopes. When used on an incline sloping llaterally of a snow shoe the strain on a harness is severe. The heel of the users boot tends to swing in the direction of the slope and if this occurs the control of the snow shoe decreases.

Snow shoe harnesses of the prior art have been unsatisfactory in failing to provide rigid and continuous control. The prior art includes harnesses comprising only flexible straps, which are unsatisfactory for the reasons given above, and harnesses which employ a rigid kU-strap intended to fit snugly along the sides of the users boot in addition to extending around the heel. Such U-members are very inadequate for the torsional strain to which they are subjected when the user is crossing an incline sloping transversely of the direction of travel, and the pressure of the boot against one side ofthe U-member is very tiring as well as causing Wear on the side of the boot.

In applicants Patent No. 2,821,031, means were provided for controlling a snow shoe primarily from the heel of the users boot. This was accomplished by exible strap means which transmitted pressure against the heel of a boot from points on a snow shoe well in advance of the heel of the boot and spaced laterally from the ksides of the boot, the pressure thus applied on the heel serving to hold the boot against toe abutment means which determined the position of the boot longitudinally on the snow shoe. This structure gave improved control against forces tending to swing the users heel laterally with respect to the longitudinal mid-line of the snow shoe, and it met with commercial success.

The harness which is the subject of this application is an improvement upon the harness disclosed in applicants Patent No. 2,821,031. The harness disclosed in that patent is not altogether satisfactory since the flexible strap means stretches, or shrinks when wet, to a degree which still permits an undesirable amount of movement of the heel of the users boot transversely of a snow shoe, and when such movement occurs the exible strap on the side of the boot which is in the direction of the swinging movement of the boot becomes slack and ceases to support the boot in a position to satisfactorily control the snow shoe. An object of this invention is to provide an improved snow shoe harness such that the snow shoe will be continuously under control at all times including forward, lateral, tilting and swinging movements of the snow shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide control of a snow shoe from the lheel of a users boot by holding the boot back against means providing an abutment for the heel of a boot.

The invention will best be understood if the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view FIGURE 3 is a side elevation FIGURE 4 is an end view taken on the lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1 FIGURE 5Y is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention, partly broken away FIGURE 6 is a detail view partly in section taken on the line 6 6 of FIGURE 5 FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of a modified pivot bracket FIGURE 8 is a top plan View of the bracket shown in FIGURE 7 FIGURE 9 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 9-9 of FIGURE 7 FIGURE 10 is a plan view partly broken away of a strap and keeper for holding the toe of a boot down on a snow shoe FIGURE 11 is a transverse sectional view looking toward the toe of a users boot which is held down on the snow shoe by the means illustrated in FIGURE 10, and showing a preferred way of attaching the said means to a snow shoe FIGURE 12 is a side view of the structure shown in FIGURE 11, and j FIGURE 13 is a plan view of a preferred interconnection between one end of a control member and a bracket adapted to be mounted on a snow shoe frame.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings the harness comprises the combination of, a rigid heel control member 10, the brackets 12 and 14 to which the forward ends of the control member 10 are respectively pivotally mounted, a means 16 anchored to the control member 10 for extending around the front of a users boot in the region of the instep and holding the boot in home position against the control member 10, armeans 18 for limiting downward movement of the heel of the boot relative to the control member 10, and a means 20 for holding the toe of a boot down on the snow shoe irrespective of the lifting and lowering of the heel of the boot together with the said member 10, which occurs each time a step is taken.

This combination has the advantage of providing more complete control of a snow shoe than has previously been obtained. This control is the result of pressure exerted against the heel of the users boot and maintained at all times while the snow shoe is in use, both while stepping forwardly, backwardly or sideways, and while swinging the snow shoe to change the direction in which they are pointing. This combination also has the advantage that the whole harness may be mounted on a snow shoe at an angle to the longitudinal center line of the snow shoe. Some snow shoers prefer to have their boots angled slightly so that the toe of the snow shoe is on the opposite side of the longitudinal center line of the snow shoe from the heel. This can be accomplished by positioning brackets 12 and 14 on the snow shoe at an angle to the center line of the snow shoe and with one bracket slightly in advance of the other, or by adjusting the arms of the control member to make the arm on one side longer than the arm on the other side.

Preferably the control member 10 comprises an intermediate portion 10b, which is substantially U-shaped and adapted to serve as an abutment for the heel of a boot and desirably providing contact not only on the extreme rear end of the heel but also to some extent along the sides of the heel, and the portions or arms 10a and 10e which are angled. outwardly and entend fronl the fon 10b to the' pivot monntings provided 911 the braekets 1.2 and 1.4, or, as illustrated, herein arms 10a and 10c are extended by members 10d and. 10e Whieh. entend to tbe pivot mountings p' on the brackets- "Ibe nieinber A1.6 isldestrably neaible nvornart .strap comprising 'the parts 16a'and`16b respectively, one end of each of said parts being Ysenred as'by rivets r to the control member 10, and pref ably to opposed portions of the intermediate portion 1.0.12! and bnelsle, ineens 17 eerbied-by one. of said parts 16a .or 1.6.1 andadapted to engage the corresponding end of the other of said parts 1612 .or 16a- '.Ihe intermediate -portonlbof rigid member 10 provides 'an abutV ent ag nst which the heel of the boot is positioned and the. parte 16a and 161?v serve to hold the users boot in home position against the intera mediate portion 10b, than maintaining Pressure against the heel of a users boot at all times. Desirably the end portions or arms of member lttare eaeh adjustable in length." Y i' Assbown in FIGURFSL 3 and 5., theanns of member 10 are each adjustable in length andtcomprise portions 1Q@ and 19e respeotively whioh are integral With portion 10b; and Portions 10dv and 10e Whieh. Overlap and extend beyond portions 10a and 10c respectively and are pivotally connected adjacent their outer ends to the brackets 12. and 14. .respeetivelv In the.. embodiment shown in FIGURE 5 the'portions 10d and .10e may be secured to portions Aa and 10e resneetively in Various positions of overlap by the thumb screws t.

The member. 1 8 may desirably. be a eross member or web of any suitable material extending across the generally triangular space defined by the control member. As shown in 1, 3 and 4., member 18 is in the form of a strap the ends of which are brought up on the outside of opposed portions or' the intermediate porlion 10b of member lfand anchored to member 10 by rivets r, which may be the same rivets which secure the strap parts 164 and 16 b respectively. The web or cross strap 18 provides a door on` which the heel of a boot rests and it serves to prevent the heel moving downf wardly with respect to control member 1Q. The inner surface of portion 10b of member 10. preferably has a liner 19, secured to 10b lin any suitable way as by rivets and extending upwardly from 10b to provide an extended area o f contactwith the heel 0f the boot.

Ity be understood thatcontrol member 10 swings up and down around the pivots p together with the heel of the users boot which moves up and down in taking each step. The members 16 and 1f8.coact in positioning a users boot relative to .control member 10. so that the boot cannot move. forwardly away from abutment with portion V10b of the control member 1 0 or downwardly relative to the control member 10. Thus members 1,6.

and l@ coact with member 10 iin-causing member'.v 10't0 swing up.. and down as the heel. of the users boot is raised and lowered, thus maintaining. positive control of the snow shoe by means of pressure communicated from the snow shoe to the heel of the users boot at all times.

The means forholdingthe. toe of the boot down on the snow shoe is preferably a strap which is threaded through the lacing of the snow shoe and twisted around the toe cord 2 2 r*so that an intermediate portion of strap 2l)V extends on Ythe under side of the lacing and the Vfree ends are brought 11pV on opposite sides ot. the toe portion 0f the bootoand buclgled together tightly enough to hold the toe portionof. the boot. dor/n ontbe snow shoe lao.- ing.r Desirably memberY 2.0,.. is twisted. around the. toe cord on opposite sides of the toe of the boot and ad. justedto permit the. front end .ot` the toe o-theboot to extend through it and overothe space- 24 between the toe cord 22. and toe. cross-.bar 26..

- 4 Desirably the brackets 12 and 14 are mounted on opposed portions of the snow shoe frame to' give a rm control base for attaching the control member 10 and at the same time causing the forward ends of the diverging arms 10a and 10c toY bezspaced well apart laterally of the snow shoe, whi cl1 reduces strain on a control mem ber also. thecontrol ot the boot heel by increasing the pressure which is exertedv on the extreme f rear of the heel.

In FIGURES 7, sanda g modified form of bracket 2s is shown, the ends of each of which rest on the snowshoe frame andthe intermediate portion of. which is raised from the. frame., and. whiehhasthe pivot pins p onwhienthe arms of. tbestrap 1.0 arepvoted. .An arm po'rtion10d` is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9on a pivotpin p and held in position by loelr. washers w-w- In 13.. 'one end. of a; control member 10 is shown eonneeted to ajbraeket 12, by a ball and socket connection. Asillustrated herein, this comprises V,a ball portion at, one end of astem 32 which is fastened to the ange of bracket 1.2. in any suitable war.-Y Por.- ton. 3.12. 'may comprise. a clamp for engaging the ange of bracket 1.2,4 or abolt threaded toreeeve the not 34 for elarnping againstfthe outer face of the. -ange after tbe inner' end of the bolt is peened over. The stem 3.2 extends through. the enrtrelnriityv of the armut member 10 and the ball portion 30 extends partly into the aperture thusl provided. A cover member`- 36 which provides a concavity betweenvtwo -at cndsis secured over the ball portion, as by the. rivets r.

Snchav conneton is preferred-sinceitpermits a control member to be mounted-bn snow shoes. offditterent width without atteeting the freedom ofthe control member to Pivot. around its forward ends.,y Itwill be appre- Gatedthat when.l the forward ends of the control mein ber 1Q are spread apart diiferent distances to engage bracketsv mounted. on' opposed portions of snow shoe frames ,ofv diierent widths.4 the angles of the forward extremities et. the controlr member arms Willa/ary somewhat relatYe to Pil/Ot, pinsprovided on the brackets. The ball and. Socket, connection is not affected by changes in the angular position of the arms of the control member. This is of. practical importance since snow shoes are madeL in different sizes, usually sizes 8 to 14" wide, having diierent widthsl between opposed. portions of the framefin the region of the toe cord.

There has thus been provided a ASnow shoe harness. in which the vabove stated objects are accomplished in atheronghly praetieal manner.

What I'elaixn is:

1. A snowV shoe harness comprising, a pair of brackets mounted on a snow shoe frame in laterally spaced relation, arrigid adjustable strap the ends of which are pivotally connected to said brackets respectively, said strip beingshaped so that it has aY curved intermediate portion disposed rearwardly of the snow shoe from its pivoted ends and two extending from said intermediate portion to said brackets respectively, said intermediate portion providing 4an abutment for the heel of a users hold the boot from moving,A forward 4away from abutting` relation to the said intermediate portion of said. rigid strap, and a toe strap detachably engageable with they snow Shoe and adapted to extend over the toe of a users boot and to Yprevent the toe vportion of the boot from lifting from the snow.- shoe irrespective of the lifting and lowering ofthe heel por-tion of the boot and of the rigid strap.

2. The snowv shoe harness claimed in-claim l in whichsaidarigidY strap comprises. the Jsaidintermediate portion 5 which is shaped to t around the rear f a boot heel and to provide a curved abutment against which the heel portion of the boot is held by said instep strap and two end portions which extend forwardly from said intermediate portion and are angled outwardly from said intermediate portion to said brackets respectively.

3. A snow shoe harness comprising, a rigid heel control member comprising an intermediate portion adapted to serve as an abutment member for the heel of a boot and a plurality of arms projecting forwardly and outwardly from said intermediate portion, means for pivotally mounting said control member on a snow shoe for swinging movement in a vertical plane around the forward ends of its arms, means anchored to said member for keeping a heel of a boot in abutting relation to the intermediate portion of said control member and preventing forward movement of the boot relative to said member, means extending across the space defined by said control member adapted to support the heel of the boot and to determine its vertical position relative to said control member, and means for holding down the toe of the boot Without interfering with the raising and lowering of the heel of the boot and the said control member.

4. A harness for a snow shoe comprising a frame and cross-lacing supported by the frame and disposed to define an opening into which the toe of a users boot may extend below the level of the lacing when the heel of the boot is raised, said harness comprising brackets mounted on the frame on opposite sides of the snow shoe, rigid control means having an intermediate portion adapted to serve as an abutment member for the heel of a boot, and a plurality of arms projecting forwardly and outwardly from said intermediate portion of the snow shoe to the frame on opposite sides of the snow shoe, means for pivotally mounting said arms on said brackets respectively for swinging movement of the control means in a vertical plane around the forward ends of its arms, means anchored to said control means for keeping the heel of a boot in abutting relation to the intermediate portion of said control means and preventing forward movement of the boot relative to said control means, means extending across the space defined by said control means adapted to support the heel of the boot and to determine its vertical position relative to said control means, and a exible strap adapted to be threaded through the lacing 6 of the snow shoe to the rear of said opening and to be extended transversely across the toe of the boot to hold the toe of the boot down on the lacing while permitting it to extend over, and move down into, said opening.

5. In a. snow shoe harness the combination of a pair of brackets adapted to be secured on opposite sides of a snow shoe frame, a rigid control member comprising an intermediate curved portion and end portions extending forwardly and outwardly from the intermediate portion and adapted to be pivotally connected to the brackets respectively, and means for pivotally connected said end portions to said brackets respectively.

6. In a harness for a snow shoe comprising an endless frame, lacing criss-crossed within the space ydefined by the frame leaving an opening defined at its rear end by a heavy cross-lacing extending transversely of the snow shoe and known as the toe cord, the combination of a pair of elongated brackets adapted to be mounted on a snow shoe frame in opposed relation substantially at opposite ends of the snow shoe toe cord, a rigid control member comprising two angularly related arms and a curved intermediate portion interconnecting said arms, means for separately controlling the length of said arms, and means for pivotally connecting the forward end of said arms to said brackets respectively.

7. The harness claimed in claim 6 in which the end portions of the control member each comprise a plurality of parts, and means are provided for selectively interconnecting the parts of each end portion in a plurality of over-lapped positions to control the length of said end portions respectively.

8. The harness claimed in claim 6 in which the means for pivotally connecting the forward ends of the arms to said brackets respectively are ball and socket joints whereby the rigid control members are made self-accommodating to snow shoes of different widths.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,420,261 Nadeau May 6, 1947 2,699,613 Peterson Jan. 18, 1955 2,738,596 Walsh Mar. 20, 1956 2,769,250 Rinkinen Nov. 6, 1956 2,821,031 Howe Jan. 28, 1958 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OE CORRECTION Patent No. qOOOgll? Y September 19V 1961 ,Harold `Howe I It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column lU line` 14g for "life" read lift --g eelumn 4g line 541V for "strip" read estrap signed and sealed' this Erd day of April 196e,

(S EA L) Attest:

Attesting Officer ERNEST w'. swlDEE DAVTD L. LADD Y Commissioner of Patents 

